I know everyone has been tossing & turning wondering how this problem was resolved, so this is the complicated solution:
I bought a Century 1/2 hp motor from a Craigslist guy for $20. Bolted it to my lathe and switched it on. Eureka!
Now I'll gut the old one and the Carolina Wrens will...
Many thanks for all responses. This is an education and you guys know what you're talking about.
But as to one of my original questions: do start capacitors stop working when they get very hot? Then work again when they cool off? Or do they work until they fail, and then they're just dead...
John -- super helpful reply and a good primer on this motor. I usually stick with projects like this and try to the bitter end to fix them, but in this case, I found a guy with (allegedly) a good-quality identical specs motor for just a few bucks, so I'm gonna get it. I've paid more for start...
It's a 1/2 hp motor made by Sears. Probably 30+ years old. It runs a lathe that I got for free. Guy says it sat for many years and he was convinced the motor was shot. Motor model is 113.12790.
When I got it, the motor would hum/buzz, but not spin. I could start it turning with my hand and...
